Photo caption: Professor Beth Cianfrone and sport administration students Maggie Riseborough, Natalie Bunch, Javae Frazier, Aina Stratton, Jadyn Chandler and Jackson Sears pose for a photo during the TOUR Championship.
ATLANTA—Master’s and Ph.D. students in the sport administration program had the opportunity to volunteer at the TOUR Championship hosted at East Lake Golf Club Aug. 24-28.
The students learned valuable skills that go into organizing a major sporting event that saw the 30 best PGA TOUR players compete for the season-long prize, the FedExCup.
During Advance Week, Aug. 13-23, the students assisted the TOUR Championship staff with volunteer uniform distribution for the 1,300 volunteers, as well as organized merchandise and TOUR sponsor materials. Tournament Services Coordinator Amanda Greathouse provided the experiential learning for the students.
For Tournament Week, the sport administration program volunteers made up the inaugural Safety Committee. Led by Beth Cianfrone, professor and sport administration program coordinator, and TOUR Director of Corporate Safety Anthony Cesiro, students were trained to assess safety hazards throughout the course to ensure a safe player, spectator, volunteer and staff experience.
“Safety is the top priority of our Volunteer Service Excellence platform, and these students played an essential role in keeping every tournament constituent safe, and they did so with care and compassion,” Cesiro said. “We are very grateful for their commitment and look forward to welcoming them back to East Lake next year.”
The Georgia State students made such an impact on the TOUR community that M.S. student Maggie Riseborough was awarded the Rob Johnston H.O.N.O.R. Award for her hard work and dedication as a volunteer. The Rob Johnston H.O.N.O.R. Award is given to volunteers who display a positive attitude while going above and beyond in their service to the tournament.
When asked about her experience, Riseborough replied, “Volunteering at the TOUR Championship was a great experience. Being a part of Advance Week and preparing for a major event like this was eye opening, but what was most memorable was Championship Week. I learned different aspects of what it takes to operate and provide safety for a major golf tournament. I look forward to watching and working more golf events in the future.”
In addition to receiving the H.O.N.O.R. Award, Riseborough and M.S. student Jadyn Chandler were featured on the tournament’s Instagram page during the final round, giving the sport administration program exposure to the tournament’s 35,700+ followers.
All of the students were honored to be a part of the first-ever Safety Committee and will always cherish the experience gained through Advance Week and the TOUR Championship.
The sport administration program looks forward to having students volunteer with the TOUR in the future.
The sport administration program is housed in the Department of Kinesiology and Health in the College of Education & Human Development. The program offers a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Sport Administration, Master of Science in Sport Administration and a Ph.D. in Kinesiology with a concentration in Sport Administration. The M.S. program is currently ranked No. 18 in the United States by Sport Business International. The sport administration program is home to the Center for Sport and Urban Policy and the Rankin Cooter Bureau for Sport Business Research.
For program information, contact Professor Beth Cianfrone at [email protected]. For the latest information, follow the program on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @GSUSportAdmin.
